Elisha Mayallah
26 April 2008
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We found Bujumbura International Airport busy and thriving when we touched down at 10.15 am. Like many airports in Africa, it is not only the location of this airport that makes it, but rather its feel. And Bujumbura has a very pleasant, relaxed feel to it.
I fought my way to the customs desk for my visa and was amazed by the friendliness of the staff at the airport. "Bonjour Monsieur" was the ordinary greeting I would be accosted with, and that gave me time to adjust my thinking and talking to reflect the French language. I was lucky that I knew some little French otherwise it would be very difficult to communicate.
I went through the visa registration form, filled it slowly recording each detail correctly and handed it over with my passport to the official. I was then asked to pay USD 20 for my visa and I politely asked the official how would a citizen from the East African Community bloc of whom the Government of Burundi is a member be subjected to a visa fee? It became obvious that the amendment to that directive is yet to be effected. However, I was told, Kenyans and Ugandans enter free.
Fighting back the jet lag as we drove to the main city, it felt good having a moment to think less about the daily stresses. And sharing a moment of joy with one's neighbour are simple pleasures that many us take for granted in our daily lives.
On we went until the green vegetation landscape gave way to rich urban way of life. One of the most beautiful sights was seeing nearly a hundred of young men cycling with loads of big milk plastic containers heading to the city centre for sale.
Bujumbura nestled in the highlands is the capital city of Burundi. It lies at the North-eastern corner of Lake Tanganyika, and Bujumbura is Burundi's main port with frequent ferries to Kigoma, Tanzania and Democratic Republic of Congo. Burundi is a high mountainous country, 1500 m above sea level, extends to the Great Rift Valley and its Ruzizi River flows into Lake Tanganyika.
In 1962 when Burundi became independent the city's name was changed to Bujumbura from Usumbura. The capital grew from a small village after it became a military post in German East Africa in 1889. After World War I it was made the administrative centre of the Belgian League of Nations mandate of 'Ruanda-Urundi".
If the roads of Bujumbura are any indication of population density, then the country is filled to capacity. I was on the look out for a stretch of road without people but never found one. Pedestrians are everywhere; taxis are just as numerous. The roads of Bujumbura are never quiet.
Eventually we arrived at Shammah Hotel and after seeing the range of frightful accommodation on offer, I found refuge in the top floor of the hotel. The rooms are reasonably large, relatively clean and provide a gorgeous view on to the centre of Bujumbura.
Leaving my hotel room each morning for the three days I stayed in Bujumbura revealed the beauty of the city, and everywhere I turned the atmosphere was electric.
Overwhelmed by curiosity during one of my lunch hours I visited the market in central Bujumbura. After a few minutes in the market, which has an amazing view, the diversity of the people and business amazed me.
Flanked by thousands of people and public transport, the large market has thousands of vendors selling nearly everything under the sun - fruits, vegetables, soap, new and used clothes, shoes, hardware, household items, books and many more. On the outskirts of the market vendors line up along the main arterial roads, spreading their goods on the ground, or spill out into streets - offering an attraction of its kind.
After blissful working hours I spent the evening in Buyenzi. It is one of the slums of Bujumbura, where its residents are mostly Muslims. For me Buyenzi was always part of the hinterland of my imagination since early 1980's. That time I was a fan of one Mr. Kabendera Shinani who was working with Radio Burundi and there were many announcements of Buyenzi in the radio. Mr. Shinani, however, has since died, so sad!
Buyenzi, I thought, was the sort of the place to getaway and absolutely do nothing but enjoy the pleasures of the place. I walked around the vast streets of Buyenzi with a young man who offered to be my guide at a fee.
The exclusivity and deplorable quality of life has always attracted visitors to Buyenzi, I was told. Amid trepidation and probably a little unimaginative, I found the visit lively and inspirational.
Later, as my guide, escorted me to the city centre he encouraged me to visit other Bujumbura suburbs like: Bwiza, Bugarama, Rumonge, Cibitoke, Kinama and Gisenyi. It sounded so real from a young man of 13 years who sadly told me of what befell his family. His entire family, except his sister, were killed in the ethnic fighting's that had left Tutsis and Hutus divided. I fought back tears as I handed him some few banknotes before we parted.
After 72 hours of great food, interesting company and relaxation, I found Bujumbura a pleasant city, making it an ideal place to explore. With some restaurants serving delectable food of home-grown ingredients and milk, Bujumbura is the place to appreciate life. You can find tasty food almost everywhere throughout the day; meet fellow-travellers and interesting locals.
Next, a visit to Kigali, Rwanda .
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